TransLink today announced it has appointed its chief legal officer, Gigi Chen-Kuo, as its interim chief executive officer.

The Metro Vancouver transportation authority's current CEO, Kevin Desmond, announced last October that he would be leaving his position after five years.

The new appointment is effective as of February 5.

In addition to her general counsel duties, Chen-Kuo is also TransLink's vice president of corporate services and is responsible for the agency's real estate division, its enterprise safety group, and business technology services. She has been with TransLink since 1999.

“We’re pleased to name Gigi Chen-Kuo as TransLink’s Interim CEO,” TransLink board of directors chair Tony Gugliotta said in a January 5 news release. “She has a great deal of experience in working with all elements of the TransLink enterprise, and that’s why she is the right person for this leadership role over the coming months.

"It’s important to have a seamless transition period as we are facing a number of key deadlines and projects in the first half of 2021," Gugliotta said, "including preparing a new Investment Plan, continuing work on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project and the T2050 long-term plan, and advancing ridership recovery.” 

The search for a permanent CEO will be ongoing through the first half of 2021, according to the release.